


Thank Me Later

by Blu_dahlia



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, like holy shit, post 8x02, season 8 spec sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 14:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18624931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blu_dahlia/pseuds/Blu_dahlia
Summary: "She's only starting to come back...this will destroy her."A version of what could happen during/post the battle with the Night King. This is not a happy ending





	Thank Me Later

**Author's Note:**

> SO.
> 
> Full disclosure: I have only ever been, at best, a casual Game of Thrones watcher. They lost me early but I have been back to see everything come full circle. For that reason, I don't feel super comfortable writing all these characters and I feel like I probably have messed up on spelling or how to address them. However, after the past couple of episodes, Gendrya has taken over my goddamn life.
> 
> This scene popped into my head for a couple of reasons:
> 
> 1\. I read a fan theory about how Jon Snow might have to sacrifice himself to save everyone from the Night King a la Harry Potter. Except he would probably actually die, because Game of Thrones is not Harry Potter.
> 
> 2\. I was rewatching Gendrya scenes and way back when Sandor survives his trial by combat with the Brotherhood and Arya freaks out it looks like Gendry holds her back (I could be wrong, this was not quality video) and I am just a huge sucker for that shit
> 
> This was written very quickly, during and after wine. (Most of my stuff is) But I wanted to get it up because if I don't do these things in the moment, they don't happen. I will probably read it tomorrow and take it down. But we'll see.
> 
> Anyway, if you made it through all that nonsense and still want to read this, carry on!

“You all believed me first. You agreed this war had to happen first. Now I need you to trust what the next step we take, we must take, will be.”

Jon Snow had gathered what was left of them. The men who had followed him over the wall, into near certain death. The fact that that this many of them had survived not one, but now two confrontations with the Night King and his men, was nothing short of a miracle. He knew that not all of them could make it through more. But he also knew that maybe they could, if he did not.

“I can end this. I will end this. I will leave you all behind. You can’t change my mind. This has to happen. But I need to know that my family, and my home, will be taken care of.”

The men around him stiffened. They understood. But that didn’t make it easy.

Sir Jorah spoke first, “My lord, your queen needs you. Your sisters, need you.”

Sir Davos was next, “The North needs you. We will find another way. I have survived this long. Surely we can find a way for you to also.”

Other voices rang, with the same sentiment. Surely there was another way. But not one of them could name it. As they died down, The Hound spoke out.

“Self-sacrifice is fucking stupid. You should go out fighting. But if you must, the Stark girls will be protected.”

Silence follows.

“I thank you for your commitment. I cannot tell them before. They will try to stop me, and I might let them. Perhaps you can be there?”

For the first time, The King of the North’s voice shakes while making his request. Sandor nods in agreement.

Sir Jorah drops his head in defeat. “I should like to be there as well. The queen, she will… she will grieve your loss.”

Duties for the aftermath are assigned and detailed. The men come to a somber agreement. As he is leaving the room Jon is surprised to feel a firm, rough grip on his forearm. He turns to find Gendry’s panicked face.

“Forgive me m’lord. But you can’t, you can’t do this. They won’t get over it. She won’t. I know she won’t. She’ll never fucking recover. She’s only starting to come back... this will destroy her. You can’t do th-”

“She? Who are you talking about?”

“Arry...Lady Stark...Arya... your sister…”

The blacksmith’s head drops and his face flushes. Just for a moment. Then he raises his eyes to meet Jon’s desperately.

“She’s back but she’s barely there...she won’t make it if you don’t. I’ll…”

Jon gives Gendry a long look.

“You have to be there. When they tell them. She will try to stop it. She could get past them. You can't let her. I’ve asked you all to look after my family. I never wanted this. Any of it. I don’t want to hurt her. But it’s what has to be done. I think you are a good man. A good man will stop her from making it worse for herself. No matter what it takes.”

“Of course I’ll do that. Anything for...I’m just saying...I just…”

Gendry is in hell. He can’t stop this, he can’t protect her from this.

Jon looks into his eyes again. He looks sad, and remorseful.

“Whatever it takes. Thank you.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

In the end. It is awful. Gendry knew it would be.

Their Queen, Danerys, is silent. He wants her to rage, to scream, anything. But she is just silent. Staring out the window.

Their Lady, Sansa is weeping in the corner. Tyrion tries to comfort her to no avail. She keeps reaching for Bran’s hand, but he of course, is beyond being able to comfort anyone. It gets worse when she cries out for Theon, for Robb. They are gone. No one can bring her peace.

But by far, as he knew it would be, is his lady, Arya.

She starts in with questions - rapid fire with her mask on firmly. As if this is a tactical discussion.

"Where is Jon now?"

"Who is with him?"

"Why the hell would you all leave him alone?"

"Why can’t they try something else?"

"Why didn’t they stop him?"

"Who can bring him here?"

"Who can bring me to him?"

He sees the change in her eyes when she doesn’t get the answers she wants. She has all the skill of an assassin. But in this moment, she has none of the control. She is wild.

Arya charges toward the door. Sandor gets a dagger in the leg, Tyrion is knocked away, Jorah’s forearm is sliced open. She will not be stopped.

Gendry is going to hate himself for the rest of his life. _Whatever it takes._

He tackles her from behind, knocking her brutally to the floor. For once, she never saw it coming. She knew who was behind her. She never thought he would be the one in that room to hold her back.

Arya fights against his hold. Hard. She bites, kicks, scratches.

It’s all so wrong. So different from how he held her the night before.

She’s still close, still under him, still in his arms. But she is not reaching for him, accepting him, asking him to show her what to do. She is trying to kill him.

He isn’t pulling her closer to get his lips and hands and his love onto her. He is a roadblock. He is hurting her in his attempts.

He hates himself.

Her questions have changed.

"Why the hell would you leave him alone?"

"Why didn't you stop him?"

"Why would you let him do this to me?"

"Why would you do this to me?"

He hates himself.

Mercy comes in many forms. This time, it is in the form of a blunt sword handle to Arya’s head courtesy of Sandor. A man she once wanted to kill.

Arya goes limp. Gendry is sickly relieved, though simultaneously ready to kill Sandor himself.

The tall man narrows his eyes, “Thank me later.”


End file.
